The Hospice Philosophy

Hospice is a philosophy of care that accepts death as a natural part of life. When death is inevitable, hospice seeks neither to hasten nor postpone it. Rather, members of the hospice care team focus on the patient’s needs — physical, psychological and spiritual. Hospice is total-person care that identifies the needs of the individual and empowers family and caregivers to provide supportive care in familiar surroundings.

Palliative care extends the principles of hospice care to a broader patient base. With its roots in medical sciences, palliative care focuses care on physical pain and symptom management to ensure comfort. The goal of palliative care is to relieve patients in the earlier stages of the disease process from distressing symptoms, ease their pain, and enhance their quality of life. As the disease progresses, the patient will ideally transition to hospice care. Read MORE about palliative care...

The care philosophy of St. Mary’s Hospice
St. Mary’s Hospice supports the spirit of hospice care by advocating for the person who is terminally ill according to the following philosophy of care; St. Mary's Hospice:

• accepts individuals with a terminal prognosis regardless of disease process or ability to pay.
• is patient/family centered. The patient and family are the primary unit of care and the center of all informed decision-making. The goal, as providers of hospice care, is to support and empower this involvement.
• provides the medical service necessary to keep patients comfortable — which includes palliative therapy, medications, and other treatments indicated to support a quality end of life.
• the Hospice Care Team is a resource in the community for grief and loss issues, education and end of life research.